Bellator’s Soto to Kick Off Tachi Palace Fights

Tachi Palace Fights is bringing in Bellator champion Joe Soto and
others for its first state-regulated event on Oct. 8, the promotion
announced Wednesday.

The promotion, owned by the casino property of the same name on
sovereign land in Lemoore, Calif., had previously run shows under
the Palace Fighting Championships brand without the oversight of
the California State Athletic Commission. Tachi Palace was also the
birthplace of the WEC, which held events there from 2001 until
2006, when it was purchased by the UFC and moved to Las Vegas.

The promotion will also move its bouts from a ring to a cage and
will contest five-minute round fights. It had previously used
three-minute rounds under the PFC banner and once under the TPF
name in a boxing-MMA mixed event last July.

Ted Williams, promoter of the long-running Gladiator Challenge, has
been hired to stage Tachi events under his license. Williams and
Richard
Goodman will also assist with the promotion’s matchmaking.

“Ted is going to use Gladiator Challenge as a launching pad to the
Tachi Palace Fights, like a feeder event,” said Jeremy
Luchau, entertainment coordinator for the Tachi Palace.